Corn-planter.



L M. BUCHANAN. CORN PLANTBR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1910.

1,099,337, Patented June 9,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wawsw:

L. M. BUCHANAN.

CORN PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV; 25, 1910.

1,099,337, Patented June 9,1914.

3 SHEETS-BEBE?! 2.

L. M. BUCHANAN.

CORN PLANTBR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 25. 1910.

1,099,337, Patented June 9,1914.

3 BKEETB-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co-. WASHINGTON. D G.

LAUGHLIN M. BUCHANAN, OF KEWANEE, ILLIN 01S.

Specification of. Letters Patent.

Patented June 9,1914.

Application filed November 25, 1910. Serial No. 594,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAUGHLIN M. BUCH- ANAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kewanee, in the county of Henry and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCorn-Planters, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to corn planters, and has for its object to providea new and improved planter in which all the operating parts and thesupporting wheels are carried by a single frame instead of by two frameshinged together as has heretofore been the general practice in cornplanter construction. I accomplish this object as illustrated in thedrawings and as hereinafter described.

What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 1.1of Fig. 2, illustrating the construction of my improved planter; Fig. 2is a plan view; Fig. 3is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4. of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is avertical section on line 5--5 of Fig. (3, showingthe construction of thedriving sprocket; Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 1, showingtheconstruction of the wheel spindles and the arrangement of the drivingsprocket and clutch mechanism; Fig. 7 is a rear elevation, the tonguebeing in section; Fig. 8 is a detail, being a partial plan viewillustrating the drive-shaft by which the seed-plates are operated andthe connections thereof; and Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-4) of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, 10-11 indicate parallel bars extendingtransversely of the machine. Said bars are connected by brackets 12-13,which together form what may be termed the frame of the machine.

1415 indicate runners, which are rigidly secured to the bars 10--11, asbest shown in Fig. 1, and are provided at the rear with the usualstandard 16 provided with a seed-duct 17 equipped with valves adapted tobe operated by checkrow apparatus in the usual 1 3-19 indicate seedboxesarranged in the usual way and over the standards 16, said seed-boxesbeing provided with the usual seed-plates.

20 indicates a check-row rock-shaft, which extends transversely of themachine and is connected with the valves in the seed-ducts 17 in theusual way. ill-2 indicate checkrow forks mounted on the rock-shaft 20,and 23-2 l the usual guide-rollers for guiding the chcck-row wire intoengagement with the forks 21-22, as usual.

25 indicates a spring for restorin the rock-shaft 20 to its normalposition after it has been actuated.

26 indicates the usual seed plate shaft, which is journaled in suitablebearings 27 carried by the brackets l2-13 and is geared to theseed-plates as usual.

28 indicates the shoes of the runners 14 15, which, as shown in Figs. 3and 4:, are flat on the inside so that their inside surfaces are inlinewith the line of movement of the machine, the rear portions of saidrunners being wider and being convex on their outer faces, as shown at29 in said figures.

30 indicates the tongue, which is secured to the main frame and isbraced by a brace 31, as shown in Fig. 2.

32 indicates the seat, which is mounted on the rear portion of thetongue back of the main frame.

3334 indicate crank-axles, which are pivotally mounted in brackets353G3738, respectively, at opposite ends of the bar 11v of the mainframe so that said axles may rock in their bearings.

39 indicates a shaft, which is fitted in the horizontal portion of theright-hand axle 34, as best shown in Fig. 9, said shaft being employedto transmit power from one of the supporting wheels to the seed-plateshaft 26, as hereinafter described.

40 l1 indicate wheel-spindles.

integral rod or bar, the inner end portion of which is disposedhorizontally andhis fitted in bearings in the brackets 35-36, ashereinbefore described,the intermediate portion 42 thereof being bent atright angles with the horizontal portion and the spindle 40 formed bythe outer end portion which is bent so that it forms an angle slightlygreater than a right-angle with the intermediate portion42, as shown inFig. 2.

43 indicates the left-hand wheel, mounted on the spindle 40. Theright-hand crank axle 34 is tubular to receive theshaft 39 and near itsouter end carries an arm 44 g The V crank-axle 33 is preferably formedof an 7 spends with the intermediate portion 42 of the left-hand axle.Said arm44 carries at its lower end the spindle 41 which, as abovesuggested is preferably formed integral therewith, said spindle beingarranged at an obtuse angle with said arm 44 and carrying the right-handwheel 45, as shown In Figs. 2 and 6. It will be noted that by theconstruction described the wheels 4345, when in the positionshown inFig. 2, which is the normal position, are inclined to the line of draftso that they are farther apart at the front than at the rear, and asthey are set back of and slightly outside the inner faces of the runnersthey act as covering wheels to throw the dirt back intothe'furrow afterthe seed has been dropped therein. The two wheels being inclined inopposite directions, the side-draft is equalized so that the machine mayeasily be guided in astrai'gl'it line. The crank axles and wheels at theopposite sides of the machine are independently adjustable so thateither wheel may be raised or lowered and at the same time be movedforward or backward independently of the other, and when the ma chine istransported from one field to another they may both be set so as to runsubstantia'lly parallel with the line of draft by 33 -34, respectively,and the hand-levers be-.

ing pivotally connected therewith adjacent tothe foot-levers. Lockingegments 48-49 are secured to' the bar 11 adjacent toas the hand-levers46'47,Q respectively, shown in F i'gs. land 2. The hand le'vers operatethrough their respective foot-levers by means of rods 54 and springs5253 mounted on said rods, as shown in Fig. 1,

the arrangement being such that when one of the levers, as 47, is drawnbackwardit will operate through its spring 58 to depress the foot-lever51, and by locking the lever o in any desired position of adjustment bymeans of its segmental rack 49 the corresponding axle may be locked inposition. This locking, however, does not hold the axle rigid, as thespring 53 permits it to yield slightly. The lower ends of the rods 54pass through suitable perforations in the levers 50451 and nuts 54 arescrewed upon the lower ends of said rods 54 below the levers 505l, asshown in Figs 1 and 7, so

7. that when the levers 46- 47 are moved forward beyond a certainpointthey will act to positively lift the levers 50 '51. It will be obviousthat when the axles 33'34 are rocked to lower the wheels the efiect isto raise both runners out of the-ground. This may be raised or loweredindependently of the other to adjust the corresponding runner verticallyand maintain it in proper 010- c erative position. 7 7

As has been explalned, the crank-axle 34 ;is tubular and incloses theshaft 39, Whichshaft carries at its inner end .a sprocket- 7 '41.Preferably the sprocket-wheel 60 is mounted upon a sleeve 61 carried byanfarm 62 fixedly secured to the arm 44' of the;

crank-axle 34, as shown in Fig. 6. Said sprocket-wheel is provided onits outer face with lugs 63, preferably two in number,-

which are adapted to engage corresponding lugs 64 carried by a disk 65which ismounted on and secured to the inner portion of the hub ofthewheel 45, as best shown in Fig. 6, I thus provide clutch-members throughwhich the shaft 39 is driven from the wheel 45 and at the same time thead j ustment of the wheel incidental to the rocking of the crank-axle 34is not interfered with. Furthermore,- the wheel 45 may be partly rotatedin a reverse direction, as is necessary inturning corners, withoutreverse ing the rotation of the seed-plate shaft.

If desired, it will be understood that instead of driving the seed-platedrive-shaft from one of the wheels only it may be driven from bothwheels by duplicating at the left hand side of the machine theconstruction shown at the right-hand side thereof and-- using aratchet-wheel for connecting the driving mechanism'operated by one ofthe, wheels with the seed-plate drive-shaft, or

using a divided seed-plate drive-shaft. The

claims are therefore not to' be construed as 7 being limited to drivingthe seed-plate driveshaft from a single wheel only; Further? more, itshould be understood; that while I have described with considerableparticularity the embodiment of my invention shown in theaccon'i'p'anying drawings, my

' invention is generic in character and is not limited to such specificembodiment, except seed-depositing means carried by saidframe, combinedcovering and carrying wheels ta ranged at an angle, to the line ofdraft, 1%

means separately connectingsaid wheels respectively with said frame,means for independently adjusting said wheels vertically and for varyingthe angular relation of said wheels to the line of draft.

2. A corn-planter, comprising a unitary frame, furrow-openers connectedtherewith, a seed-plate drive-shaft mounted on said frame, coveringwheels arranged at an angle with the line of draft separate meansconnecting said wheels respectively with said frame, means actuated byone of said wheels for operating said drive-shaft, and means forvertically adjusting said covering wheels independently of each other.

3. A corn-planter, comprising a unitary frame, runners secured to saidframe, crankaxles pivotally mounted on said frame, wheels mounted onsaid crank-axles, lever mechanism for rocking said crank-axles to raiseand lower the wheels, one of said crankaXles being tubular, a shaftmounted in said tubular axle, seed-depositing means mount ed on saidframe, and means for driving said shaft from the adjacent wheel.

4. A corn-planter, comprising a unitary frame, runners secured to saidframe, crankaXles separately mounted on said frame, combined coveringand carrying wheels mounted on said axles and arranged nor: mally at anangle to the line of draft, means for raising and lowering said wheels,and means for exerting yielding downward pressure on said wheels.

5. A corn-planter, comprising a unitary frame, runners secured to saidframe, crankaxles mounted on said frame, wheels mounted on said axlesand arranged normally at an angle to the line of draft, means forraising and lowering said wheels, means for exerting yielding downwardpressure on said wheels, seed-depositing means, and means actuated byone of said wheels for operating said seed-depositing means.

6. A corn-planter, comprising a unitary frame, runners secured to saidframe, crankaxles pivotally mounted on said frame,

wheels mounted on said cranlca xles, lever mechanism for rocking saidcrank-axles to raise and lower the wheels, one of said crankaxles beingtubular, a shaft mounted in said tubular axle, seed depositing meansmounted on said frame, and means for driving said shaft from theadjacent wheel, said driving means comprising clutch mechanism betweensaid wheel and said shaft.

7. A corn-planter, comprising a frame, furrow-openers connectedtherewith, seeddepositing means mounted on said frame, covering wheelsarranged at an angle with the line of draft means separately connectingsaid wheels respectively with said frame, means actuated by one of saidwheels for operating said seed-depositing mechanism, and means forvarying the angular relation of said wheels with the line of draft.

8. A corn-planter, comprising a frame, furrmv-openers connectedtherewith, crankaxles separately mounted on said frame, said axlescomprising combined covering and carrying wheel spindles and armspivotally connected with the frame, said spindles forming obtuse angleswith said arms, wheels mounted on said spindles, and means for rockingsaid axles independently of each other.

LAUGI-ILIN M. BU CHANAN. Witnesses:

JOHN L. JAoKsoN, MINNIE A. HUNTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatenta, Washington, D. G.

